Items with tag “cascadia subduction zone”

March 11, 2008, 9:32AM

Following reports of a "supercomputer" simulation of a 9.0 Cascadia subduction zone earthquake - and the probable grim results for anyone living anywhere near the local shoreline - at least one blogger is feeling a tad squeamish about visiting the Oregon coast. Gene McIntyre, whose Neighbor Talk blog appears on the Statesman Journal website, grew up in Astoria, but writes... Full story »

October 26, 2009, 9:02PM

Off Oregon's coast, newly discovered seismic faults explain a puzzling swarm of quakes, and may help scientists better understand the complex system of faults, volcanic ridges, tectonic plates, and subduction zones that unleash massive earthquakes every few hundreds years in the Pacific Northwest. Full story »

January 18, 2010, 7:00PM

Agencies urge residents to take steps now -- pack emergency supplies, create an emergency plan for your family, and connect with neighbors to prepare for the days following a possible massive disaster. Full story »

April 20, 2010, 8:05PM

Precise predictions are impossible, but by reconstructing the history of mega-quakes in the Northwest, scientists have found a possible pattern that could help improve forecasts of the next big one. Full story »

August 11, 2010, 11:40AM

Crews with the UW-based Pacific Northwest Seismic Network are doubling the number of seismic recording stations placed along the northern part of the Olympic Peninsula to better document this three-week event. Full story »

February 23, 2011, 9:02PM

The earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand rated only a magnitude 6.3 and yet killed at least 75 people and collapsed modern, seismically reinforced buildings because it erupted at shallow depth near the center of a city. Portland sits on shallow faults capable of similar destruction. Full story »

March 04, 2011, 8:30AM

Oregon elementary school students in grades 1 - 6 can show off their knowledge about how to prepare for an earthquake in the first-ever Earthquake Preparedness Poster Contest. The theme is, “Don’t be a Square! Draw and Prepare.” One student winner will be chosen statewide from each grade and will receive a $50 gift certificate for their winning entry.... Full story »

March 15, 2011, 8:30AM

The photos and video coming out of Japan are almost too surreal to believe. A massive, fast-moving wall of black water wiping out an entire coastal town in minutes. Huge ships washed inland like bathtub toys. The story is still developing in several of the country’s nuclear power facilities and in the evolving humanitarian crisis. Japan is a rich,... Full story »

March 19, 2011, 3:45PM

"The Earth had awakened that winter night, Jan. 26, 1700, during the giant Cascadia megathrust earthquake. The region's westernmost shores had suddenly lurched some 50 to 60 feet westward toward the ocean, like a rubber band that stores energy and then is released." Full story »

April 08, 2011, 8:33AM

A relatively minor earthquake that struck Washington state near Mt. Rainier Wednesday should serve as a reminder that a catastrophic quake like the 9.0 temblor that hit northern Japan March 11, or its 7.5 aftershock Thursday night, is possible anywhere — at any time — in the Pacific Northwest. Full story »

May 12, 2011, 12:48PM

Workers with the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries, the Red Cross and Clackamas County deliver presentations Wednesday to a crowd of more than 200 people at Marylhurst University in Lake Oswego on what to do in the event the state is struck with an earthquake. Full story »

December 02, 2011, 3:00PM

When the massive, magnitude-9.0 earthquake hit off the Pacific coast of eastern Japan on March 11, residents of surrounding towns and cities streamed into local parks, seeking help and solace in equal parts. It makes sense: Parks are open spaces, free of towering buildings and power lines that could collapse, and are natural gathering points for a scarred and scared community. Full story »

December 20, 2011, 8:41PM

Six devastating great earthquakes have occurred since 2004, causing some experts to speculate that earth has entered a period of increased seismic activity. But a somewhat reassuring new study suggests otherwise. Full story »

December 21, 2011, 9:02AM

Statistics suggest the run of very large earthquakes does nothing to change the risk in the Northwest. But the data is less than convincing to some experts, who think it's possible short-term risk of a great earthquake has increased on the Cascadia Subduction Zone. Full story »